Due in large part to significant advances in computing system, memory, and network technology, data and information can now be readily disseminated, and used, in any one of a number of media formats. For instance, information that traditionally would have been distributed as printed text, such as books, is now readily available in both electronic text-based format, to be displayed on various computing systems and/or electronic readers, such as Kindle™, IPad™, and/or IPhone™ systems, and in audio-based formats that can also be played on either the same computing systems and/or electronic readers, or on other systems, such as IPods, or various MP3 players.
There is little question that this wide array of currently available multi-media formats for disseminating information represents a significant advance in information distribution technology, and provides for more varied distribution channels that allow the information to be disseminated to more users, and often in ways that are more relevant to a greater variety of users. However, currently, when information is made available in two or more media formats, such as electronic text-based versions and audio-based versions, each media version is typically designed to be implemented and used in isolation from, and to the mutual exclusion of, the other versions. Consequently, not only is there currently no opportunity for synchronization between the two media versions, but each media version typically requires its own software and/or interface systems, and some even require different playback computing systems.
As an example, currently, if a user desires to listen to an audio book version of a popular novel in her car during her daily commute, but then also wants to read an electronic reader version of the same novel at home, that user must first purchase both the audio-based version of the novel and the electronic text-based version of the novel and make sure her computing system, or computing systems, have the necessary playback software and/or interface installed for each version of the novel.
However, even if the user goes to the significant expense and effort to obtain the two media versions of the novel, there is currently no mechanism for the user to synchronize the two media versions. Consequently, when the user gets home from her daily commute and turns off her audio-book version of the novel at playback point A, she must make an effort to remember the audio content at playback point A, i.e., make a mental bookmark of her place in the audio-based version of the novel. Then, later, when the user desires to relax and pick up her electronic text-based version of the novel, she must recall where she was in the audio-based version, e.g., recall the audio content at playback point A, and then scroll, and/or search, through the electronic text-based version to try to find the electronic text corresponding the audio content at playback point A in the audio-based version. Only then can the user pick up and continue reading in the electronic text-based version of the novel where she left off listening in the audio-based version of the novel.
Clearly the situation described above represents a significant inconvenience to the user. However, to make matters worse, features that are available in one media version of the information are often not available in the other media version. For instance, currently, electronic reader, or e-reader, systems include popular features such as, but not limited to: the ability to activate a dictionary feature to obtain the meaning of a word presented in electronic text-based format; the ability to designate bookmarks and highlight electronic text; and the ability to insert user notes. However, currently, there is typically no similar feature associated with audio books and no mechanism for transferring user input data provided in one media version of the information, such as an electronic text-based version of a book, into another media version of the information, such as an audio-based version of the book. Consequently, the user is limited in his or her ability to fully utilize both media versions of the information.
Given that the consumer/user population is more mobile, and demands more information on demand in every environment, than ever before, the current inability to synchronize and merge activity conducted with one media version of information and activity conducted with another media version of the same information, is extremely limiting and less than ideal for both users of multi-media information and distributers of multi-media information.
What is needed is a method and system for synchronizing activity in two or more media versions of information and allowing the user to make relatively seamless transitions between the two or more media versions of the information.